Rainy Days: An Umbrella Academy Tale
by PinkAtHart
Summary: The Hargreeves siblings have successfully stopped the apocalypse! The problem is, another one is on its way. This time, four of the other children born in the 12th hour of October 1st will need to join them to help save the world... Again. Featuring shifting points of view from all of the Hargreeves siblings (including Ben) and original characters.
1. Chapter 1

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **For those of you who've been following me, yes, I am _actually _writing a fic that's not about the_ Power Rangers_! (Oh my gosh, it really_ is _the apocalypse!) I'm pretty obsessed with this series, so if you enjoy it, too, please enjoy this fic! And don't worry, I'm still focusing on my _Power Rangers_ fics as well._

_**CHAPTER ONE**_

_**ROGER**_

_The rain was coming down hard upon the corpses littering the ground. There were too many to count. Some stared at Roger accusingly with their cold, dead eyes. He was alone in his survival... Or _was _he?_

_Despite the rain, a fire burned nearby, refusing to die down. An African-American man emerged from the flames seemingly unharmed. He stared around in disbelief and horror. He held a badly burned child in his arms. She could not have survived, but he refused to let go of her, stubbornly laying her down on the ground and attempting CPR. It was futile. The girl was too motionless._

_Wind seemed to breeze past Roger. He looked up and saw a blurry purple figure speeding around him. When she finally stopped moving, he saw her clearly. She appeared to be Asian and had somehow moved at a superhuman speed. To prove this, as part of a nearby building came crumbling down toward Roger, she sped up again, grabbing him and pulling him to safety. She smiled at him before releasing him._

_A final woman approached cautiously. She looked relieved to see the rest of them. A warm light seemed to burst from inside of her. Then, she pointed to more debris that was falling toward them. It exploded in midair as a beam of light shot out of her hands and hit it._

_"Is this it?" She asked in an Irish accent. She tucked a stray bit of her long red hair that had escaped from her ponytail behind her ear. "Are we the only ones left?"_

_"Yes," Roger replied. "No one else survived."_

Roger Ricci suddenly found himself sitting in his apartment. He took several deep breaths, trying to adjust to being back in the present. Sometimes, his visions were hard to interpret, but this one had been pretty clear. The world was going to be destroyed, and for some reason, he was going to be one of the only survivors.

"I have to find the others," he said aloud. They had all survived for a reason... Maybe they were the ones who could prevent this vision from coming true. The problem was, he had no idea who the others were. He had never seen them before.

He closed his eyes, hoping he could figure out how to find them. Suddenly, he saw a location in his mind. _Ireland, _he realized. The redhead was definitely somewhere in Ireland. With a little luck, maybe he could track her. He was certain these strangers were like him... Children born around the world during the remarkable day of forty-three immaculate births. He had once been able to track these other children, having visions of what they were doing at any given point in time. With any luck, that gift still worked. He didn't know what was going to cause the world to end, but he _did _know that he had to try to prevent it. One way or another, he would track down the others. Together, they would save the entire world.

_**FIVE**_

Through an incredible team effort, they'd done it... They'd stopped the apocalypse. Number Five was beyond relieved when he walked into the mansion which had housed the Umbrella Academy with his five remaining siblings by his side. Sure, they looked like they'd lived through the fight of their lives, but that was because they _had._

"Coffee," Five decided aloud. "This calls for coffee."

"Fuck coffee," Allison said. "This calls for _alcohol._" She began pouring shots for everyone except Five. He frowned at her. "You're not old enough to drink," she pointed out.

"Goddamnit, Allison, I'm older than _all _of you!" Five snapped, grabbing a shot and pouring it into his coffee.

Allison rolled her eyes and passed everyone else their shots before pouring herself a new one.

"Allison, this is why you're my favorite sister!" Klaus declared. He then wrapped his arms around Vanya. "And _you're _my _other _favorite sister because you helped _stop_ the apocalypse instead of _starting_ it this time," he added quickly. "We couldn't have saved the world without you... You put the V in MVP, Vanya!"

"I just wish we could have saved Ben..." Vanya said.

"Way to kill the buzz, Vanya," Diego said, downing his shot. He poured another one, then raised it. "Here's to stopping the apocalypse!" He toasted.

"Here, here!" Klaus chimed in.

Luther frowned. "What's wrong, Luther?" Allison asked.

"Oh, oh! _I _know!" Klaus said eagerly. He frowned, mocking Luther, and said in a very serious, Luther-like tone, "Dad sent him to the moon."

Diego laughed so hard, he spit out his drink. Five managed not to, but he had to admit that had been funny.

"Dad's still dead," Luther said seriously.

"Well, yeah, but Mom and Pogo are okay, so at least there's that," Diego said. "Dad can rot in hell."

"I thought if we stopped it early enough, he'd live, but he still..." Luther sighed, not finishing the sentence.

"Luther... He's proud of you," Allison said gently, putting a comforting hand on his back. "At least you know that much."

Luther nodded, not saying anything else. Everyone went back to drinking. Five was okay with that. His family was easier to handle when drunk. Finally, he headed up to his room to see the one person he _really _wanted to see.

"We did it, Dolores," he said, wrapping his arms around her as he crawled into bed, still fully dressed. He was too exhausted to change, and all he wanted was to hold the woman he loved. It was over. Finally, Number Five could rest.

_**ELLA**_

Being a princess was never easy. Ella McKenzie wasn't technically royalty, but she'd been treated that way since her birth. Ella's entire village had deemed her a miracle from God. Not only had she been born to a virgin mother who hadn't been pregnant prior to going into labor, but from the minute she was born, she'd been bathed in a bright light. As she'd grown, she'd learned to manifest that light in a number of different ways. She mainly used it to comfort the people of her village, but she'd also used it to defend them from harm.

Ella didn't think of herself as a Goddess or anything, but she'd never been normal, and she didn't know how to be anything but the unofficial princess of St. Catherine's Cove. The people of the village even called her Princess or Lady Ella. She didn't mind. It was nice to know they loved her, and she was happy to protect them.

"Lady Ella! Lady Ella, come quickly!" Fiona called. The little girl was nearly eight now, and she worked as a servant girl with her mother, Eloise. She'd grown up in Ella's home, and Ella was rather fond of her and her mother.

"What's got you so worked up, Fiona?" Ella asked.

"It's Jack!"

Jack was Ella's neighbor. She hurried to see what the trouble was. Ella stared in horror as she spotted him collapsed on her kitchen floor. Eloise was trying to tend to a gaping wound in his chest, but he was rapidly losing blood.

"What happened?" Ella demanded.

"He was working on his farm and had an accident," Eloise replied. "He's lost too much blood... I can only keep him comfortable... Can you bless him, Princess?"

Ella stepped closer to him. "Aye," she said. "Of course." She began to manifest light from her hands, trying to comfort Jack as he died. To her great surprise, Jack's wound began to seal shut and heal before her eyes. That had never happened before.

"It's a miracle!" Eloise cried. She sank to her knees and bowed her head. "Our Princess has done the impossible! It is surely an act of God!"

Fiona followed her mother's example, sinking to her knees to worship at Ella's feet. That _had _happened before. In fact, it happened every time Ella helped people. She was used to it.

"That's not necessary," she said quickly. "I am just happy Jack will survive."

Jack smiled at her from the floor. "My princess... I am not worthy. Thank you," he said humbly.

She smiled back at him. "Be careful, Jack. I don't know if I can do that again," she said with a gentle laugh. She'd never healed anyone so obviously before, although people had recovered more quickly than expected when she "blessed" them. Maybe she'd always had this power and simply hadn't needed it to manifest so strongly before.

"Well done, my miracle," her mother said as she entered the room. She wrapped Ella in a hug. Ella relaxed in the familiar embrace.

An hour later, Ella went for a walk. She was trying to keep a low profile so no one stopped her to ask for blessings. It wasn't that Ella disliked helping others, but sometimes, she needed a little time to herself.

"You were born on a special day in October of 1989," a voice said.

Ella spun around, startled. "I... Yes, I was," she said. She looked at the handsome stranger standing in front of her. He was tall, with long brown hair he had pulled neatly into a braid. He had intense eyes that seemed to see into her soul. "Who are you?"

"My name is Roger Ricci. You and I share a birthday."

She was nervous now. "What is it you want from me, Roger?"

"Your help. I saw you in a vision."

"You have visions?"

"Yes... And you manipulate light." He paused. "What's your name?"

"Ella. Ella McKenzie." She studied him. "What was so important that you traveled here?"

"The apocalypse, Ella... I saw the end of the world, but I believe you are meant to help me stop it."

She stared at him in surprise. "And exactly how am I supposed to do that?"

"You have powers. I saw you with me and two others, left behind when everyone else died."

"Who were the others?"

"I don't know yet... I can track the others, Ella. And, for whatever reason, that ability found you first. I came here from Italy... And now, we are going to..." He paused, closing his eyes. "Detroit," he said after a minute.

"How _dare _you presume I'll just agree to this! I am not about to run off to America, or anywhere else, with a complete stranger," Ella objected. He had _some _nerve!

To her surprise, Roger softened a bit. Something close to desperation appeared in his eyes. "_Please, _Ella... If we don't do this, everyone either of us has ever known or cared about is going to die," he said quietly.

Something about his tone and body language made Ella believe him. She was frightened of the world he'd predicted, and if they could prevent that future, wasn't she obligated to at least try? She thought of the people of her village. They trusted her completely to protect them. If they were truly in mortal danger, she owed it to them to do everything in her power to keep them safe.

"Yes," she said softly.

"Yes?" Roger repeated.

"Yes, I will help you."

"Great! Let's go-"

"Not yet. I have to tell my people I am leaving. I need to say goodbye to my mother."

"Ella, the world is in danger-"

"These people _are _my world. An hour will not make a difference, but if you argue with me, it will take longer."

Roger sighed. "Of course you can say goodbye. I'll stay with you so we can leave as soon as you're ready."

Ella nodded. "Come. My home is this way." She led him toward it and hoped she was making the right decision.

_**THE NEXT DAY.**_

_**KLAUS**_

He woke up pretty damn hung-over. Klaus stumbled down to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a shot to take the edge off. He turned around and let out a high-pitched scream at the sight of two people standing in front of him. Ben, he'd expected, but the other one...

"Dave?" He asked, his hands shaking so badly that he dropped the shot.

"It's me," the man he'd loved and lost confirmed.

"Klaus, we need to talk," Ben said.

"Not now, Ben," Klaus said softly. It was so rare that he could see Dave.

"_Yes, _now. The world's going to end."

"Weren't you paying attention? We stopped that," Klaus argued.

"You stopped _an _apocalypse," Ben insisted.

"What are you rambling about?" Klaus refused to believe this. They'd stopped Vanya from losing her mind. It had been a close call, with Five's freaky former co-workers trying to put a hole in space when Vanya had been stopped, but they'd succeeded. The world had been saved. Everything was fine, and the fact that it was the morning _after _the apocalypse proved that.

"It happens differently this time, Klaus... But it's still going to happen," Dave said gently.

Hearing it from Dave, Klaus couldn't ignore it. "What am I supposed to do?" He asked softly.

"Warn the others," Ben said urgently. "This isn't over yet."

"Man, Number Five's gonna be _so _pissed..." Klaus mumbled. He sighed, looking at Dave. "I love you," he whispered.

"I know. I love you, too," Dave said.

"But I have to deal with this now... And I can't do that with you here, because I don't want to leave you... I don't care about saving the world if I can stay with you instead."

"It's okay, Klaus." Dave smiled at him sadly. "I'll see you soon."

Klaus nodded before pouring another shot. He successfully downed it. Dave faded away. Ben stayed by his side, frowning.

"Seriously?" Ben asked, motioning toward the shot.

"Would _you _tell Number Five his life's mission to stop the end of the world only _delayed _it while _you_ were sober?"

Ben sighed. "Fair point... Just don't do any drugs, okay? There's no time for that."

Klaus shrugged, downing another shot. "Time to party," he said. He headed toward the kitchen and waited for his family to show themselves.

_**DUKE**_

The early morning fire was blazing out of control. Duke Wilson and the rest of the firefighters were trying to put it out, but it only seemed to get stronger.

"My son!" A woman cried as she emerged from the building coughing.

"Where is he?" Duke asked.

"Apartment 307... Corner bedroom... I-I couldn't get to him," she said between coughing fits.

"How old is he?"

"Six..."

"Treat her for smoke inhalation," Duke told one of the paramedics at the scene.

"Duke, you are _not _going in there," his chief said firmly. "It's _suicide."_

"For anyone _else, _maybe, but I can do this, Chief."

"Your luck won't last forever, Wilson!"

"He's _six, _Sir." Duke ran into the building without another word. He rushed up the stairs. The flames didn't touch him, even though they were everywhere. He didn't understand why that happened whenever he was around fire, but it worked well for him considering his chosen profession.

He found the boy hiding in his closet. Although his room was engulfed in flames, the closet door had provided a barrier and the boy was still relatively unharmed. He had covered his mouth and nose with a thick sweater, and Duke scooped the boy and the sweater up, knowing he'd be alright. He carried him out of the building, emerging to the sound of applause.

Duke brought the boy to the paramedics and his mother, who burst into fresh tears at the sight of him. She wrapped him in her arms and looked at Duke. "Thank you!" She sobbed out.

"No thanks necessary," Duke said. "This is what I do." He smiled at the boy. "You're a smart kid. You're going to be alright now." He ruffled the boy's hair affectionately before returning to his chief.

"Incredible..." The chief said. "But I _still _say your luck can't last forever. Everyone's runs out eventually."

"Maybe," Duke said casually. "One day, I might end up getting myself killed, but not today." He smiled before grabbing a hose and continuing to put out the fire.

When it was finally out, Duke was about to head back to the truck. A man and woman stepped into his path.

"You were in my vision..." The man said.

Duke frowned. "Sir, have you seen a paramedic? I think you may have suffered from smoke inhalation and may not be getting enough air," he said. It wouldn't be the first time someone hallucinated from that.

"We weren't inside," he said. "My name is Roger, and this is Ella. I need you to come with us."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

"Please, Sir...You're _very _brave," Ella said sweetly. "I watched you rescue the boy. You are a natural hero."

"I was just doing my job," Duke replied.

"Yes... Just as _this _is your job... I was skeptical at first as well, but it is our duty to help Roger with this mission."

"_What _mission?"

"Saving people by stopping the end of the world," Roger said.

That was ridiculous. "Look... You both seem very nice, but-"

"You were born during a special day in history, with forty-two other babies."

"No, actually. I wasn't."

Roger paused. "I don't understand... You're fireproof. You have powers, so you _must _be one of us."

"Fireproof?" Duke wanted to deny it, but it would explain his _luck. _He hesitated. "I was born the day _after _the one you're talking about."

"That can't be right... Are you sure?"

"Am I sure I know when my birthday is? Yes, I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be? It's on all of my records."

"Records can be altered," Ella said gently.

"Why would someone alter my records? My mother wouldn't allow that."

"There was a man who tried to purchase all of us from our parents. Have you ever heard of the Umbrella Academy? The man who ran it was the one who approached our mothers," Roger explained.

"Perhaps your mother feared for your safety after he approached her and changed your records so she could hide you," Ella suggested.

He wanted to argue... But it made sense. His mother had always insisted he keep the fact that fire seemed to leave him alone a secret. She was afraid of something. "You said this is about saving people?"

"It's about saving _everyone," _Roger said.

Duke nodded. "I'm in. Give me a minute." He walked over to the chief.

"What's going on?" The chief asked knowingly.

"I need to take some personal time, Chief," Duke said.

"Is everything okay?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"You _never _take personal time. Go ahead and just call me when you're ready to return."

"Thanks, Chief."

"You've earned it. I hope everything works out alright."

"Me, too..." Duke mumbled. He headed back to Roger and Ella. "Alright," he said. "I'm ready to go."

_**DIEGO**_

He kept flipping a knife in mid-air and catching it, trying to center himself as Klaus rambled.

"So, basically, you're saying the apocalypse wasn't stopped... It just moved to another day?" Diego asked.

"Apparently," Klaus replied.

"No," Five said firmly. "That's _not _possible."

"Are you calling Ben a _liar, _Five? Not cool," Klaus said.

"I don't understand," Vanya said softly. "I thought that _I _caused the end of the world."

"Apparently, there are other apocalypses... _Apocali_? No, the first one's better," Klaus decided aloud. "Anyway, the point is, our work's not done yet."

"Bullshit!" Five said, stabbing a knife into the kitchen table.

"Coffee, Dear?" Their mother pleasantly asked in response. Diego was thrilled to have her back, but that response probably wasn't helpful. Number Five was keyed up enough without adding more caffeine into him.

"No... Actually, _yes_. If we have to stop another fucking apocalypse, then I need more Goddamn coffee," Five said, finally giving in to the inevitable truth.

"How does it happen?" Allison asked softly.

"_When _does it happen?" Luther added. Apparently, Five believing Klaus was enough to convince the others.

"I don't know, and I don't know," Klaus replied casually.

"Seriously? That's _all _you've got?" Diego asked.

"That's all they gave me," Klaus said with a shrug. "Blame them."

"I thought it was just Ben?" Vanya asked.

"Never mind that," Klaus said quickly. "Anyway, I'm ready for a nap! Wake me up when you guys have a plan... Or don't." He waved goodbye as he walked away.

"Do you think he's right?" Allison asked.

"I do," Diego said. He could see the grief in his brother's eyes. It hadn't just been Ben who visited him. That pain only showed when Klaus thought about Dave too much, and if Dave had come to him, this was serious.

"So what's the plan?" Vanya asked Luther.

"Five? Any suggestions?" Luther asked.

"I did all the work _last _time. It's someone else's turn," Five said. "If you'll excuse me, I'm taking Dolores to the beach." He marched up to his room, presumably to get Dolores. Maybe it was weird that his brother was in love with a mannequin, but hey, to each his own, right?

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Vanya asked with concern.

"It's Five," Diego replied. "He's _always _okay in the end." He hoped that would be true. For decades, Number Five's only mission was to stop the apocalypse. Now that he'd succeeded, another one was coming. That would mess _anyone _up in the head. Diego sighed and began playing with his knife again.

_**JEANIE**_

She'd been wearing a mask and playing superhero ever since she'd been ten. Jeanie Kwak was an expert at this now. She started her playlist, which included everything from rock to rap to K-pop, and watched from a rooftop for the right moment to spring into action.

In a city like New York, there were plenty of opportunities to save the day. Jeanie had no shortage of jobs. Although she took actual paying bodyguard gigs to keep up with her bills, she frequently sped in to the rescue when she saw trouble, especially when she was bored. Today was one of those days.

Two men with guns walked into the bank she was watching. Jeanie grinned, speeding down to the ground and waiting for signs of trouble. The men did not disappoint, firing their guns into the air. Jeanie rushed inside, a blur of purple, and moved the bullets away from anyone they might have hit before knocking both robbers onto their backs. She grinned as the bank filled with applause and slowed down long enough to take a bow before tying the men up. Jeanie was a former Girl Scout and she tied a hell of a knot. The police arrived and found they had nothing to do except load the restrained robbers into their car as Jeanie watched, hidden by shadows.

"That's a heck of a talent you've got there," a man said, causing Jeanie to remove her headphones.

Jeanie spun around and saw two men and a woman watching her. "I do my best," she said cheerfully.

"As do we," the second man said. "My name is Roger. This is Ella, and that's Duke. We share a birthday with you."

She grinned. "Sweet! We can throw a killer party! I'm the Purple Panic," she replied.

"Do you have a real name?" Roger asked.

"I don't generally share that with strangers. This _is_ New York, after all."

"We have powers, too," Ella said. She held her hands out, creating a dancing white light in them.

"Cool!" Jeanie proclaimed.

"We need your help, Purple," Roger said. "The apocalypse is coming... I had a vision, and in it, you were helping us. I believe we can stop it, together."

Jeanie grinned. "You had me at apocalypse," she said. Now _this _sounded like an adventure! "And, since we're going to be working together... I'm Andrea Jean Kwak, but everyone calls me Jeanie. It's nice to meet you guys! What happens next?"

"You say goodbye to anyone you need to," Roger replied.

"I don't _have_ anyone to say goodbye to. I'm on my own, so I'm good to go."

"Do you have to notify your boss or anything?" Duke asked.

"Oh yeah! Let me take care of that... Hey, Jeanie? Yes, Jeanie? Can I have some time off? Absolutely not! How _dare _you ask such a thing?! The _nerve!" _She paused before laughing at the confused expressions on their faces. "I run my own business, working as a bodyguard for hire. Stopping the apocalypse takes priority over protecting a couple of rich idiots. I'll text them later."

"Good," Roger said. "Let's go."

"Where to, Boss Man?"

He closed his eyes before saying, "The Umbrella Academy."

"Seriously? Cool!" Jeanie declared. "I've always wanted to see that place. My mom warned me away from the guy running it, but he's dead now, so why not cross it off my bucket list?"

"Why are we going there?" Ella asked.

"Because we need help. The four of us can't do this on our own, but they've trained all their lives for this. I believe they can help us," Roger replied.

Ella frowned slightly. "I don't know," she said. "My mother did not trust Reginald Hargreeves."

"Neither did mine, but Roger's right. More help can't be a bad thing," Jeanie said. "Come on, Ella..."

Ella continued to hesitate. "You already came all this way," Duke pointed out.

Ella sighed. "Very well... But the moment I sense things are going wrong, I am leaving that place."

Jeanie grinned, linking her arm through Ella's. "Alright, New Friends... Let's go kick some ass!" She declared. This was going to be fun...

_**ALLISON**_

She was going to lose her mind watching Luther pace back and forth. Finally, she snapped, "Stop _doing _that!"

Luther looked at her in surprise. "I'm sorry, Allison," he said softly. "I'm just trying to figure out what to do... I mean, Klaus apparently decided telling us about this was enough responsibility for him, and Five bowed out on us..."

"Number Five's just got a lot to deal with. He needs time, but he'll come around. This isn't easy for him."

"This isn't easy for _any _of us!"

"Hey, who exactly are you using that tone with?" Allison demanded. "I haven't done anything to deserve that."

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Allie... I'm just... _frustrated."_

She nearly made a dirty joke about that, but stopped herself. Luther wasn't okay. She touched his shoulder gently. "Hey... You're not in this alone, Luther. You've got all of us."

"_All_ of you? Klaus is useless, Five's gone on strike, Diego's being a jerk as usual, and Vanya can't help."

"Um, I think Vanya proved she's more than capable of helping when we stopped the first apocalypse." She put her hands on her hips and gave him a look that said to be careful what he said next.

"She can't always control it. She's dangerous."

"She's our _sister, _and you calling Diego a jerk is sort of pot and kettle with how you're acting right now." She shook her head.

"Allie-"

"Don't you _'Allie' _me! Call me when you get over yourself and stop treating Vanya like she's a freak you have to lock away instead of our sister. I refuse to deal with you right now." She stormed off to her bedroom, feeling like a teenager again.

Throwing herself down on her bed in frustration, Allison cried out, "_Why _must he _always _be such an asshole?" She was _beyond _sick of dealing with Luther's crap. At the same time, however, she loved him deeply. She always would. Even if, right now, she wanted to smack the shit out of him.

_Ugh... I hate that I love you, _she thought with a sigh. All she wanted was to see her daughter again and stay the hell away from men in general. Was that asking so much? She'd be so much better off.

"Too bad I couldn't _rumor _myself into being a lesbian," she said with a laugh. She shook her head and sat up, deciding she needed to stop acting like a teenager. She was better than this, and she refused to let Luther, or anyone else, turn her back into that girl.

_**LUTHER**_

He was pacing again. "Would you like a snack, Luther?" His mother asked.

He _was_ actually kind of hungry. "Sure... Thanks, Mom," he said.

"Of course." She hurried off to the kitchen to make him something to eat. He continued pacing until she returned with a ham and cheese sandwich and some milk. Luther smiled at her and took it gratefully.

"What's troubling you, sweetheart?" His mother asked knowingly. She might be a robot, but she was more human than half of the people he knew.

"I'm just... Worried," he admitted.

"Because of the new apocalypse?"

"Yes." He sighed. "I wish Dad were here... He made me feel like I could do anything if I just _tried _hard enough."

"You _can, _Luther. You don't fail when it counts."

"I'm not so sure about that, Mom."

She smiled at him encouragingly. "I like to think that my faith in you all helped you believe in yourselves, too," she said.

He returned her smile a bit sadly. "It did. You always knew what to say to make us feel better."

"Then listen to me now. You _already _stopped one apocalypse. You'll stop this one, too." She gave him a hug, instantly calming him down.

"Thank you, Mom."

"This is why I'm here, sweetheart." She released him. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, I'm okay," he promised her.

"Very well." She flashed him another smile before walking away.

Luther didn't start pacing again. Instead, he focused on what she'd said. He always had to be the strong one, the leader of the family, but not around their mother. She was the only one besides Allison he could be vulnerable around, and he even tried not to break down around Allison.

"I love you, Mom," he said softly, knowing she heard him. He knew they'd figure out how to stop this... They just needed a little bit of time.

_**THE NEXT NIGHT.**_

_**VANYA**_

They were no closer to figuring things out. Vanya wasn't sure how much more she could take. Maybe it was time to go back to her apartment...

The doorbell rang. With a frown, she headed toward the front door. Four people she had never seen before stood on the other side. "May I help you?" She asked politely as she opened the door slightly.

"This is the Umbrella Academy, correct?" One of the men asked.

"It used to be," Vanya answered cautiously.

"Excellent. We need to speak with you and your family."

"I'm sorry... Who are you?" Vanya asked.

"He's Roger. I'm Jeanie. And that's Ella and Duke," a girl said cheerfully. "Can we come in now? It's raining."

Vanya hesitated. "I'm sorry, but-" she began.

"Vanya? Who's at the door?" Luther asked suspiciously.

"I don't know," Vanya replied.

"Stranger Danger!" Klaus declared.

"We're not strangers... We're like you," Roger said.

Luther now stood behind Vanya with Klaus. "We've heard that before," he said, even more suspicious now.

"Luther, chill out," Allison said from the stairs. She joined them. "You say you're like us. What do you mean?"

"We're part of the forty-three," Roger replied.

"You know, someone else who shared our birthday tried to get involved with us. He didn't have any powers, but he did seduce our sister to the dark side, and I am not eager to repeat that," Luther said firmly.

Vanya shrank slightly at his harsh words. She'd done so much to prove she wasn't evil and that she could control her powers, but Luther still refused to fully trust her. "Lay off of her, Luth," Klaus said, wrapping a friendly arm around Vanya's shoulders.

"I'm not trying to attack her," Luther said. "I'm just worried that these people may not be who they claim they are."

"We have powers," Jeanie said eagerly. She then turned into a purple blur as she ran in circles around them impossibly fast.

"Nice!" Klaus declared with a laugh.

"Okay," Diego said, emerging from where he'd apparently been hiding. "_She's_ got powers... Can the _rest_ of you prove it?"

Ella, who still hasn't spoken, suddenly cast a bright light from her hands. It filled the house, making it brighter than it had ever been. After a minute, she pulled the light back. "Shit... That was impressive," Diego admitted.

"I'm new to this whole thing," Duke said. "But I'm apparently fireproof."

"Oooh! Let's see if that's true!" Klaus suggested. He grabbed a book of matches out of his pocket and was about to light one.

"Klaus! No," Diego scolded him.

Klaus pouted. "You guys never let me have any fun," he mumbled.

"Okay, we'll leave that one alone for now," Luther said. "What about _you_?" He asked Roger with a hint of a threat in his tone.

Roger looked Luther in the eye, not backing down, and Vanya knew she was in the presence of two Alpha males. This could end badly. "I'm a seer. I can also track the other children who were born with us. That's how I found this place," he said.

"You should have googled it," Klaus said. "It's a lot easier."

"Why are you here?" Allison asked cautiously.

"I had a vision... The world was destroyed, and everyone was dead except for the four of us," Roger said.

Vanya felt a chill run down her spine. "_Everyone?_" She asked in a soft voice.

"Everyone," Roger confirmed. "I believe we survived because we are the ones who are meant to stop it... But I also believe that we need your help to pull it off. You weren't in my vision, but it was raining... I think that may have been a symbol for the Umbrella Academy."

"That sounds like a reach," Diego said.

"I think it makes perfect sense," Klaus said casually.

"Of course you do... But no one asked you," Diego replied.

"Well, _Ben_ says we should trust them! I, for one, plan to listen to him."

Vanya couldn't hear the dead, but she knew Ben was probably replying sarcastically with something along the lines of, _that's a first_.

"Do we have guests?" Their mother asked cheerfully as she joined them.

"No," Luther said.

"Yes," Vanya said at the same time.

"Vanya-" Luther warned her.

"I think we need to get to the bottom of this, Luther. We can't do that if we just kick them out."

He frowned. "She's right," Allison said.

"Look at it this way," Diego said lightly. "If they turn out to be bad guys, we can just hand them off to Number Five. They'll never be seen again."

"Come on in," their mother told Roger, Ella, Duke, and Jeanie. "I'll make some dinner for everyone. It's so _nice _to have guests!" She walked away humming to herself.

"Who's that?" Duke asked.

"Our mother," Vanya said. "It's late. I'll help you get set up in guest rooms and then bring you to the dining area."

"Guest rooms? Vanya-" Luther objected.

"Its the best we can do for now," Vanya insisted.

"Yeah, unless you want to put them up in _your _room," Diego added.

Vanya led them upstairs. "I hope you don't mind sharing for the night... Until we know what we're doing?" She asked.

"I'm fine with it,' Jeanie said with a shrug. "Ella?"

"I... I suppose," Ella replied nervously.

"The girls can stay in this room," Vanya said. "And the boys can stay in the one next to it."

"I'll sleep on the floor," Duke offered. "I don't mind."

"Nonsense," Roger replied. "I don't require much sleep."

"We have a couple of cots. None of you has to take the floor," Vanya said. "I'll have Pogo bring them up for you."

"Pogo?" Jeanie asked.

"Our butler," Vanya explained. "The dining area is downstairs. Follow me." She led them down there on autopilot, not really sure what she was doing. They may be strangers, but they had come to help. She genuinely believed that... And it seemed like they might need all the help they could get. She sighed and thought, _here we go again_.

**A/N:** _Thanks for reading the first chapter! I love and appreciate any reviews.. I hope you're enjoying the story. I'll update soon._


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **__Hey guys! Sorry it took me literally FOREVER to update this fic. I've got a ton of projects I'm working on and this story got neglected in the shuffle. I'll try to update more often. Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_**JEANIE**_  
Waking up in the Umbrella Academy was strange but exciting. Jeanie had slept on the cot, which hadn't been that bad. She noticed the bed was empty now.

"Ella?" She called. There was no answer. Jeanie shrugged and got dressed before leaving the room to get in some exploring.

She headed down the long, dark hallway, listening for signs of life. No one seemed to be close, so she explored freely. She ducked into what must have been someone's study and looked around.

Someone cleared their throat. Jeanie jumped, expecting it to be one of the siblings. It wasn't. "What the...?" She asked. She stared at the one who'd caught her. "A monkey? In a suit?" She laughed.

"My _name _is Pogo, Miss," he corrected her indignantly. _Can a monkey _be _indignant? _She wondered.

"Pogo... As in the _butler?" _She stared at the talking monkey, both delighted such an entity existed and very confused by it.

"Yes. This room is private, Miss." His tone was mildly threatening.

"Jeanie," she informed him. She extended her hand toward him. "I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot, Pogo. You just surprised me. It's nice to meet you."

Pogo shook her hand. "It is nice to meet you as well, Miss Jeanie, but I must insist we leave this room now."

"Sure. Sorry, I was just curious."

"That is only natural, Miss Jeanie, but around here, curiosity can get you killed."

"Understood. It won't happen again."

"Allow me to lead you to the kitchen. Grace is preparing breakfast."

"Am I the last one up?"

"Not at all. Other than Luther, Roger, and Lady Ella, no one is awake yet."

"I'm a miss but she's a lady?" Jeanie teased him.

"It is what the people of her village addressed her as."

Jeanie hadn't had much time to find out the personal details of her new friends' lives. She made a mental note to start with Ella. The girl was very proper and reminded her of a fairy tale character. There _had _to be more beneath the surface. 

_**ALLISON**_

She woke up feeling more exhausted than she had when she'd gone to bed. Allison had expected stopping the apocalypse to be the end of things. All she wanted to was to go home, see her daughter, and go back to living her life. Why was it always one crisis after another? Couldn't they ever get a break?

She made herself presentable before heading out of her bedroom and down the hall. That was when she bumped into someone. "Oh! _Scusami_!" The man said in surprise. "I am terribly sorry."

Allison took a breath and said, "It's no big deal... You're... _Roger,_ right?"

"Yes," Roger said. "And you are Allison... Number Three, the Rumor."

"I am. Are you doing alright? You seem a little shaken up."

"I'm just trying to get my wits about me... This place is very large, and a bit confusing."

"You get used to it. Were you looking for anything in particular?"

"I was trying to find the others I arrived with. Ella is downstairs, however, Jeanie and Duke have not joined us yet."

"Maybe they slept in."

"Perhaps... I am not used to that. I am usually awake quite early."

"Well, that means you get dibs on the good breakfast," Allison said with a smile. "So, what's your story, Roger?"

"There is no story really... I come from Italy. I have visions of the future."

"That's a useful talent."

"Not really. Knowing the future is tricky, Allison. You may think you have it all figured out when, suddenly, you do something to completely change things. And trying to prevent what you see is even harder. Any one small detail can change the future, and sometimes what you think will prevent one outcome is actually the thing which causes it."

A knife suddenly flew down the hall toward them. Roger knocked Allison to the ground, covering her protectively with his body. The knife landed in the wall above the spot where Roger's head had been. He stared at it in shock.

"Diego, what the hell?" Allison demanded as Roger helped her back to her feet.

"Just testing his reflexes," Diego said with a smirk. "He passed." With a shrug, he walked away.

"Are you okay?" Roger asked Allison.

"I'm fine. My brother's just an asshole." She smiled at Roger apologetically. "Thanks for the rescue."

"Of course, _Stellina_." He offered up a smile of his own and Allison couldn't help but notice how handsome he was.

_No more men_, she thought. _You have enough drama dealing with Patrick and Luther_. Still, it couldn't do any harm just to _look_ at him, right? 

_**DIEGO**_

He couldn't help but be suspicious of the newcomers. They'd had interesting timing, after all. Their story was great, sure, but what if _they_ were actually behind this new apocalypse? Why the hell should they trust them?

Diego had nearly made it downstairs when someone sped by him. She stopped in front of him and said, "Boo!"

Diego stared at her. "Um... Can I _help_ you?" He asked.

She laughed. "Sorry for startling you, Diego. You know, you were always my favorite. The knife throwing thing is really cool."

"Thanks, uh..."

"Jeanie. I'm Jeanie," she reminded him.

"Jeanie, right. Anyway, I'm going to go get some breakfast now."

"Great! I was just on my way. Pogo was taking me, but he disappeared to check on something and I got bored, so I took off. Anyway, I'll come with you!"

"Jeanie, you're-"

"An odd duck? I know. My mom always called me that."

Diego paused. "What was it like?" He asked.

"What was _what_ like?"

"Growing up with your biological mother... Being... _Normal_."

Jeanie laughed. "I was _never_ normal, Diego. But my mom was pretty cool. We got along great, even though she didn't really understand me. She tried to be supportive, although she hated that I had this habit of playing superhero all by myself."

Diego chuckled. "Yeah, I still do that myself. The others don't get it... That's all I know how to do. Save people, be a hero... It's my entire existence. Without it, I'm... Well, I don't know, really."

"I get that. Saving people is just in my _code,_ you know?" She smiled at him, and it was infectious. He returned the grin. Maybe Jeanie wasn't so different from him after all.

Diego nodded. "Yeah, I _do_ know. Come on. Food is this way." He led her down to the kitchen.

_**DUKE**_  
He had been lying in bed for a few minutes as he tried to process his situation. Duke had jumped in head-first without so much as asking his mother for the truth. This was insanity. How could he just believe a bunch of strangers over his own mother?

_The strangers made sense, _he reminded himself. Everything they said seemed to explain his situation perfectly. It might not be so hard to accept that he had a super power, but accepting that the woman who'd moved Heaven and Earth to raise him on her own might have been lying to him for his entire life was harder.

To clear his head, Duke quickly took a shower in one of the available bathrooms. He was wearing just a towel when he heard whimpering and things crashing to the ground in a nearby room. Instinct kicked in and Duke rushed to the bedroom, easily kicking the door open. What he found was not what he expected.

One of the Hargreeves siblings was lying on the floor, thrashing around violently. He recognized him as Klaus. Duke knelt beside him carefully before trying to gently wake him up.

"Stop... Just... Go away! Please!" Klaus whimpered as he began curling up in a fetal position and crying.

"Klaus... Klaus, wake up," Duke said. "It's just a nightmare."

Klaus jumped slightly as he opened his eyes. Duke felt his eyes lingering on his bare chest before wandering down toward the towel. Klaus smirked and said, "Well, _hello..._" He looked into Duke's eyes and Duke realized the smile Klaus wore didn't quite erase the sadness and fear in _his_ eyes.

"Are you okay?" Duke asked, shifting and adjusting the towel before offering his hand to help Klaus stand up.

"Me? Sure. It's nothing a stiff drink and a joint or twenty won't fix," Klaus replied casually. "And looking at you's a lot better than looking at what I was seeing before."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Klaus looked surprised by the question. "Maybe later, Handsome... What's your name again?"

"I'm Duke."

"Klaus Hargreeves... A.K.A. Number Four, or the Seance. Thanks for the heroic rescue. I'll be okay now." He smiled at Duke, and Duke knew it was time to leave.

"No problem," Duke replied. "I'll see you in a bit." He headed out of the room and made his way to where he'd slept so he could get dressed.

_**KLAUS**_  
He reached for his stash as soon as Duke left the room. Being surrounded by screaming ghosts demanding his attention was not exactly his favorite way to wake up. Still, he hesitated before downing the pills. It wasn't every day a sexy man clad only in a towel broke down his door to rescue him. Klaus grinned to himself.

"You don't _have _to get high," Ben told him.

"Shut up, Ben," Klaus replied as he took out one of the pills. "I'll just take one to take the edge off. That's better than usual." He put the pill in his mouth before grabbing a can of soda.

"Don't make me hit you. Get that out of your mouth, and don't you _dare _swallow it."

"That's what _he _said!"

Ben rolled his eyes. "You're hopeless. And the joke is that's what _she _said."

Klaus used the opportunity to down the soda and the pill. He began to relax almost immediately.

"That's better," he mumbled. Klaus threw on a long, elegant, sparkly green skirt he'd swiped from Allison, the army vest he always wore now, and the hot pink feather boa he enjoyed so much before stumbling down to the dining room still half-asleep. He grinned as he saw his mother, Grace, cooking breakfast.

"Good morning, Klaus," she said affectionately. "What a lovely ensemble you're wearing today. Have a seat."

Diego barely batted an eye at his outfit. Jeanie, however, began giggling. "Cute skirt!" She said cheerfully. "Where'd you get it?"

"A mythical land we like to call Allison's Closet," Klaus replied with a smile.

"Damnit, Klaus, stop stealing my clothes," Allison mumbled as she looked at the skirt. "Although, that skirt _does_ do wonders for your legs..."

Duke entered the room and Klaus swallowed hard. He knew what the guy looked like beneath those clothes... Klaus might still be heartbroken over Dave, but that didn't mean he couldn't admire a phenomenal male specimen when he saw one.

"Hello, Duke," Grace said pleasantly. "Please, join us for breakfast."

"Thank you, Grace," Duke replied. He joined the others at the table.

Klaus looked at the only person sitting there who hadn't spoken. "Morning, Princess," he greeted her.

The beautiful Irish lass studied him with eyes that made it clear she had no idea what to make of him. Still, she politely replied, "Good morning."

"I love your dress. Maybe I can borrow it sometime," he said, only half-joking. The tan sequined ensemble was out of a fairy tale.

"Yeah, aren't you a bit over-dressed for breakfast?" Diego asked.

"All of my clothing is formal," she replied awkwardly.

"I could take you shopping later, Ella," Allison suggested. "Help you fit in a bit better."

"Oooh, can _I _come?" Jeanie asked eagerly.

"Sure. We'll invite Vanya and make it a Girls Day."

"Aw, does that mean I'm not invited?" Klaus asked.

"Not this time," Allison replied. "Maybe soon, though, so you can get your own skirts and stop wearing mine."

"Always a bridesmaid, never a bride," Klaus mumbled. He began eating the breakfast that Grace set down in front of him.

Duke smiled at his comment. His smile made Klaus want to smile. _Stop that_, he thought._ No more guys. You'll only end up even more heartbroken than before. _His mind turned to Dave. Suddenly, Klaus lost his appetite.

"I'll be upstairs if the apocalypse comes. Later," he said before walking away.

"Should we go after him?" He heard Jeanie ask.

"No... This is just how Klaus is," Diego replied. "He'll be fine." The concern in his voice was clear to Klaus, but no one else would be likely to pick up on it. As much as Diego and Klaus went back and forth, they were incredibly close when it counted. Aside from Ben, Diego understood Klaus the best of his siblings.

"I'll be fine," Klaus repeated as he reached his bedroom. He threw himself down on his bed dramatically and prayed the world would disappear for a little while.

_**FIVE**_

He had spent the entire night on a deserted beach with Dolores. She'd put everything in perspective for him. Now, he carried her home to face whatever was coming.

When Five entered the house, he was startled to see four strangers at the table eating breakfast. "Okay... I missed something," he said.

"What's with the mannequin?" An Asian girl asked.

"That's Dolores," Diego said. "Don't ask. Really."

"Who are these people?" Five demanded.

"I'm Jeanie," the Asian girl said. "That's Ella, this is Roger, and that's Duke." She pointed to each of them as she introduced them. "We're like you guys... And we're here to stop the apocalypse."

Five nearly turned around and walked back out. Instead, he took a deep breath. "Guys... Are we sure they're like us?" He asked.

"They have powers," Allison replied. "Three of the four proved it to us last night when they showed up."

"And the fourth?"

"Duke is fireproof," Luther said. "We decided not to let Klaus test out whether he was telling the truth or not."

"Allow _me_, then." Five didn't want to take any chances. He quickly tossed a glass of perfectly good whisky onto Duke. Then he threw a match at him.

"Jesus Christ!" Allison shrieked.

_"Five!"_ Luther shouted.

"What? We needed to know," he said with a shrug. "Besides... Look. He's _fine_. I guess it was true."

Sure enough, although the match had landed on his foot, Duke was unharmed. Some of his clothing burned, but it didn't seem to touch his skin. He stared at Five like he had two heads. Vanya silently handed him a towel so he could attempt to clean some of the whisky off of himself.

"Oh, my..." Grace said. "Number Five, that is _not_ how we treat guests. That was a tad naughty!" She wagged her finger at him with obvious disapproval. "Come with me, Duke. I'll get you a change of clothes while you get cleaned up." She led him away.

"Coffee," Five said. "I need coffee." He began to prepare some. It took him a minute to realize when he rejoined everyone that they were staring at him.

"You're crazy," Jeanie said. "I kind of like you." She grinned.

"That was excessive," Roger said. "There was no need to go to such lengths to prove a point."

"Look, I need to protect my family," Five said. "That means doing _whatever _it takes to keep them safe." He turned to the only stranger who remained silent. "Are you going to judge me next?" He asked.

Ella lowered her head, refusing to look him in the eye. "Would you have shown remorse if that went poorly?" She asked softly.

Five shrugged. "Not really, because then I would have proven he was liar and kept my family safe from his deception."

"You're horrible, Five," Allison said. "You could have _killed_ him."

"Again, he's _fine_, so I don't see the problem here."

"Five... You should apologize," Vanya said softly.

He sighed. Vanya always got through to him, even though she'd been the cause of the first apocalypse. Vanya was the sibling he'd been closest to growing up. She'd always been his voice of reason. "Fine. I'm sorry if I scared you guys."

"So, your name is Five?" Jeanie asked.

"Yeah."

"Why are you so young, Five?"

"I'm _fifty-eight_, Jeanie."

"But... You were born the same day as the rest of us, first of all, and second... You look like you're a kid."

Five rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. "Well, to break this down so you can comprehend it, my power involves jumping through space and even time. Sixteen years ago, I jumped through time and got stuck in the future... A horrible future where the world had ended and everyone was dead. I spent decades trying to get back to this time to warn my family what was coming, and I finally pulled it off... But I miscalculated, and my age reverted back to the age I was when I originally left, so I _look_ like I'm thirteen. Do you get it now, or do I need to dumb it down some more?"

"You're one cranky kid."

"I'm _not_ a kid!"

"Sorry... It's just... You have all this anger inside of that tiny body." She laughed.

It didn't help that Diego laughed, too. "She's not wrong, Five. You really need to get some help for your anger issues."

"_You_ try getting stuck in an apocalyptic future for decades by yourself and see how angry _you_ are!" Five snapped.

"Guys... Come on, can't we go _one_ morning without fighting?" Vanya asked.

"Probably not," Allison replied.

"We haven't managed it yet," Luther added.

"Come on, Ladies... Let's go shopping and leave the boys to argue," Allison said. She stood up. Vanya and Jeanie followed her lead. After a moment, Ella stood up elegantly.

Five raised an eyebrow at her posture and the way she carried herself. She was dainty, but not fragile. He sensed a strength in her he suspected often went unnoticed. She almost seemed regal.

"Ella... What's your story?" He asked.

"I do not have one," Ella replied politely. He liked her accent. He could imagine her reading stories and knew the cadence of her words would be incredibly soothing.

"I doubt that," he said. "I'm sorry I scared you before. Really. Maybe it _was_ a little much."

"You should apologize to_ Duke_, Number Five... Not me," Ella replied softly with an elegant smile.

"You're right... And I will, if he'll let me later."

She nodded at him. "Good." She bowed her head before adding, "Excuse me." She followed Allison, Vanya, and Jeanie out of the room.

"She's really something, isn't she?" Luther asked.

Five was surprised by the comment. It was rare that Luther showed any interest in women other than Allison, but he _was_ human, after all... Well, _somewhat_ human, anyway. Five supposed it wasn't that unusual that he'd become interested in a different girl at some point.

"She's got a nice accent," Five admitted. "Where's Klaus, anyway?"

"He locked himself in his room," Diego said. "I think he needs some time to himself."

"Got it. I'm going to take Dolores upstairs and stretch out. I'll see you guys later." He headed up to his room, relieved to be home.

_**ELLA**_

She was pretty overwhelmed. The other girls all seemed more interested in shopping than she was. Vanya didn't seem to be _too_ into the activity, but it was clear she was enjoying the bonding time with her sister.

"Ella, this is _so_ your color!" Allison said, handing Ella a bright blue blouse and a matching skirt. Ella had made it clear she wasn't interested in wearing pants.

"Yeah, try it on!" Jeanie encouraged her.

Ella sighed. They'd already selected ten outfits for her. She didn't need so many clothes, but the others were insistent. They wouldn't take no for an answer, so Ella obediently tried the outfit on.

"Stunning!" Allison declared.

"That's _really_ pretty, Ella," Vanya added.

"Girl, that outfit was _made_ for you!" Jeanie insisted.

By the time they left the mall, Ella had enough clothing to dress a small village. Allison had insisted on paying for it all herself. Ella reluctantly accepted her generosity. She was too exhausted to argue. This was all so strange to her.

Ella wore the blue ensemble out of the store. When they arrived back at the Umbrella Academy, Luther met them at the door. He looked at her with obvious approval. "You look great, Ella," he told her with an awkward smile.

"Thank you," Ella replied softly. She was embarrassed by all of the attention.

"I have great taste, right?" Allison asked.

"You certainly do." He seemed uncomfortable. There was a strange tension between Allison and Luther. It almost seemed romantic. Ella told herself that was impossible, seeing as how they'd been raised as siblings, but she knew they weren't blood related. It wouldn't really be that strange if they developed feelings for each other. Whatever had happened, they seemed angry with each other at the moment. Ella wasn't eager to get between them.

"Excuse me," she said politely. "I am rather tired. I wish to lie down for a bit, if I am not needed?"

"That's fine, Ella," Luther said quickly. He smiled at her again. "Go get some rest and we'll see you at dinner."

She rushed upstairs. Jeanie didn't follow her, which probably meant she knew Ella was overwhelmed and needed some space. Ella quickly put down her shopping bags and sat on the bed.

She missed her home, and her mother, and everyone she cared about. Maybe this trip had been a mistake. The members of the Umbrella Academy were dysfunctional, rude, and in a couple of cases, possibly psychotic. What was she _doing _there?

_You know you're meant to be here_, she scolded herself. Despite the circumstances, it felt right to follow Roger on this insane path. She needed to see it through to the end, whatever that might be.

_**ROGER**_

He didn't expect the vision that hit him suddenly. It nearly knocked him off of his feet as the details began to appear. Whatever was going on, this was important.

_A young girl sat in her home with her mother. They were obviously poor, but that didn't seem to matter to them. The woman clearly loved her daughter very much. They spoke to each other in a language Roger didn't understand, but he was fairly certain it was Korean. Roger felt drawn to the girl and realized with a start that she was one of _them_. With how young she was, this vision had to be of the past, not the future. _

_The door to their home was flung open. The mother screamed at her daughter, probably telling her to run. The girl refused to leave her mother's side. The men who forced their way into the home had weapons. They attacked with sadistic smiles on their faces, doing horrible things to both mother and daughter before finally slaughtering the mother in front of the girl. _

_The girl screamed, _"Eomma!" _Suddenly, fire burst from her hands. This seemed to startle her, but only for a moment. She looked at their attackers, her grief turning instantly to rage even as tears still streamed down her cheeks. She aimed her hands at the men and, one by one, they burst into flames. The girl stood over their charred remains and smiled darkly. Her eyes had turned cold and emotionless. _

_The vision shifted. Suddenly, Roger knew he was seeing the future. There was fire all around and a woman his age stood in the center of it. She wore the same cold, dead expression the girl had worn, and he knew that's who she was. She turned toward him and said in clear English, "They _have_ to pay."_

Roger was suddenly back in his room. _"Dio mio..."_ He said softly. Whoever this woman was, Roger knew he had to find her, and fast. Unfortunately, although she was clearly one of the miracle children, he couldn't seem to track her. "She is the one," he said aloud. Somehow, he knew this woman was the one who was going to destroy the world.

_**JAE HWA**_

She sat on the roof, waiting for the right moment to take her shot. Jae Hwa Park had been trained by the United States Military to be a sharpshooter. Although that was a difficult field for a young woman, Jae's skill had been too extraordinary to deny. She never missed a target, and that had earned her quite the reputation. She'd been part of Special Forces for a while, the perfect trained assassin, before officially retiring three years earlier.

Her target came into view. He was a businessman with a clean history. He wasn't a bad guy, but that didn't matter. His fate had been sealed the moment Jae had gotten paid. She waited for him to move a little bit closer before firing a single shot straight into the center of his forehead. Screams rang out in the street as his corpse fell to the ground. Jae got out of there quickly, not interested in having to flee when the police inevitably arrived. She'd be long-gone by then.

She dialed a number on her cell phone. "Yeah?" The man who'd hired her to kill his business rival so he could take over the company answered.

"It's done," she said. "Quick and clean."

"Excellent."

Jae hung up and began to reflect on things as she headed home. After retiring from the Military, Jae had proceeded to become a professional hitwoman for hire. She enjoyed her work. It wasn't overly difficult and she was good at it. It paid great, which enabled her to continue to build her life in America. She had moved there when she was thirteen, a year after her mother was murdered.

Their life in South Korea hadn't been easy. Jae Hwa had been born to her mother in some sort of freak event where several other women also became pregnant without having sex. Her mother's village had ostracized her for daring to keep a child born out of wedlock. No man would have her, and her family refused to support her. As a result, Jae Hwa had grown up poor and struggling, but the love of her mother had made it seem like none of that mattered.

When she was twelve, armed robbers had invaded their home. They'd beaten, tortured, and raped both Jae Hwa and her mother. That had been bad enough, but then the men had murdered her mother and forced her to watch while they restrained her. All Jae Hwa had been able to do was scream for her mother as she died. The emotional trauma had caused something to unlock within her, and Jae Hwa had discovered she was pyrokinetic. She'd burned the men to death, a fitting end for such monsters, but that wasn't enough for Jae Hwa. _Everyone_ would pay for what had happened to her, and to her mother, the only person she'd ever loved.

Jae Hwa was adopted at thirteen by an American businessman whose ancestors were from Korea. He brought her home to his wife and they raised the girl as their own, helping her gain citizenship in the United States. She began going simply by Jae, because it was easier for the Americans to remember. At eighteen, she'd joined the Military and made them proud. She didn't really care. She rarely spoke to them. They weren't her parents, and she was just their trophy child. She had little interest in continuing to play that role.

No, what interested Jae was _revenge_. Coming to America had exposed her to the knowledge that some of the children like her had been adopted by a wealthy man named Sir Reginald Hargreeves. While they lived in their big mansion, never wanting for anything, Jae and her mother had struggled. She resented them, and the more she saw what they became as they grew older, the more she hated them for throwing away everything they had been blessed with. They were wastes of space and she despised all that they stood for as they whined about their petty "problems" and threw their lives away. One way or another, Jae would see the Umbrella Academy destroyed. She was going to enjoy watching everything they had ever loved burn.


End file.
